Running Head: ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 1. Online Student Experiences with Student Support Services. Kaley R. Klaus. Fort Hays State University

Transcription

1 Running Head: ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 1 Online Student Experiences with Student Support Services Kaley R. Klaus Fort Hays State University

2 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 2 Abstract This study examined the experiences online students have had with student support services at Fort Hays State University in order to meet student expectations, and address gaps in service provision. Using a holistic case approach, an open-ended survey was distributed to a sample of online students at the institution. Results indicated that each student experiences student support services differently, both positively and negatively. The two services noted most important to online students were the Library and the Computing and Telecommunications Center (CTC); the Library resulted in providing both negative and positive experiences while the CTC was reported positively. Recommendations have been made to further evaluate the provision of various services given mixed reviews by participants. Keywords: online students, student support services, student experiences

3 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 3 Table of Contents Introduction... 4 Literature Review... 4 Method... 8 Findings Discussion Recommendations and Implications Conclusion References Appendix A: Invitation Appendix B: Reminder s Appendix C: Thank You Appendix D: Survey Instrument Appendix E: Examples of Collected Data... 42

4 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 4 Introduction Much research has been done confirming that an online student s relationship with his or her collegiate institution is complex (Ross, Gallegher, & Macleod, 2013, p. 63), so it is important to understand how these students experience the services provided by the institution in order to meet their needs, and address areas in which student expectations are not met. This study asks, How do online students experience student support services? at a mid-size, mid-western university, which offers various degree programs in a fully online format. Literature Review Online learning has been at the forefront of higher education for some time. Between 2002 and 2012 the number of students enrolled in online degree programs or taking an online course increased in excess (Allen & Seaman, 2014). An online course is defined as one in which at least 80 percent of the course content is delivered online (2014, p. 6). According to the Babson Research Group, which surveyed over 2,800 collegiate institutions, the fall 2012 semester is estimated to have served slightly over 7.1 million online learners in the United States, which was 33.5 percent of the total student population of degree-granting postsecondary institutions (2014). At the same time, a majority of online students are adult learners, over the age of 25 (Noel-Levitz, 2013). Whether a student is on-campus or taking online courses, it is their expectation to have support services available to them 24/7/365 (Crawley & Fetzner, 2013). This is particularly true for online students who need a way to connect to the institution they do not attend in a physical manner (Kretovics, 2003). Student support is defined as the assistance and guidance that students are offered above and beyond the learning materials (LaPadula, 2003, p. 119). Student support services not only enhance a student s experience in post-secondary education (2003), but also contribute to the

5 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 5 retention of students in fully online programs (Heyman, 2010). The increase in the number of online students has forced higher education accrediting agencies to impose standards requiring institutions to provide the same student support services to online students as they do for oncampus students (Pullan, 2009). The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges released a policy in 2000, edited in 2012, and reformatted in 2014, stating that in terms of student services, students should have adequate access to the range of services appropriate to support the programs offered through distance and correspondence education (p. 3). Simpson and Ormond (2013) suggest dividing student support services into two categories academic (or tutorial) support and non-academic (or counseling) support. The distinction is attributed to the cognitive, intellectual, knowledge, emotional, and organizational needs of the student (2013). Academic support services often consist of those that develop learning skills (tutoring) and assess those skills, whereas non-academic support consists of services such as: advising and counseling, financial aid, technology support, and others (2013; Crawley & Fetzner, 2013). Although Simpson and Ormond (2013) suggest a holistic model, scholars consider services such as admissions, registrar, financial aid a part of the administrative core services for all students (Crawley & Fetzner, 2013; Pullan, 2009; Shea & Armitage, 2002), and services such as academic advising, tutoring, counseling, and technical support as academic services (Crawley & Fetzner, 2013; Shea & Armitage, 2002). Regardless of the category in which the service resides, the most important services for online students have been considered to be registration and records, faculty advising, and libraries (Dare, Zapata, & Thomas, 2005, p. 48). Gaytan (2013) concluded that the third most important factor in online student retention was institutional support services, which included

6 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 6 services such as: admissions, registration, financial aid, and tutoring. These services are among the units most commonly reported to be a part of student affairs services (Kuk & Banning, 2009). In addition, an online student s advisor is often the only connection the student has to the institution, which makes advising critical for student success (Lorenzetti, 2004). Student support services have often been overlooked for online students (LaPadula, 2003), but scholars like Kretovics (2001) have pushed for student affairs to provide more support services for online students, specifically. While advances in technology have been made, and student affairs divisions have increased the amount of services to online students, there is a long way to go (Dare, Zapata, & Thomas, 2005). Many collegiate institutions offering online degree programs have created support services specifically for the online student population; however, many still struggle in the endeavor (Crawly & Fetzner, 2013). Gould, Mason, and Degenhardt (2014) identified a few collegiate institutions with quality online student support services including, Oregon State University, St. Joseph s College of Maine, University of Alabama, and Long Beach City College (Table 1-A). Table 1-A Collegiate Institutions with Online Student Support Services Collegiate Institution Lone Star College System Online Student Support Service Early Alert System Service Description The Lone Star College System Online Student Services office implemented an early alert system, licensed by Starfish, to be more proactive with under-performing students in online courses. Advisors were hired, specifically, to reach out to students that were not active in their courses for three to five days. This has greatly increased communication among advisors and students, and positively impacted student engagement (Britto & Rush, 2014).

7 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 7 Long Beach City College (LBCC) Oregon State University (OSU) Purdue University Richland Community College (RCC) St. Joseph s College of Maine University of Alabama Western Governors University Online Counseling Online Tutoring Online Writing Lab Online Student Orientation Academic Advising Library Services Online Student Mentors LBCC s Online Counseling webpage allows online students to ask counselors questions regarding educational goals, academic history, and resources via a student portal (Gould et. al., 2014; Long Beach, 2014). Utilizing NetTutor, online students at OSU are able to access tutors in a variety subjects, many of which are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week (Gould et. al., 2014; Oregon State, 2014). The Online Writing Lab by Purdue University was created in 1994 and is considered the world s first university writing center hosted online (Writing Lab, 2014). A popular resource tool for both on-campus and online students across the world, the website received 248 million hits in the academic year (2014). At RCC, a mandatory online orientation is presented to online students via the institution s learning management system. Comprised of 10 learning modules, students have reported feeling more prepared for their online education experience as well as more confident in using the learning management system on their own (Jones, 2014). St. Joseph s employs 11 academic advisors within their online college, whose purpose is to support online students exclusively; students may reach their advisor via telephone or during business hours and a few extended hours a week (Gould et. al., 2014; St. Joseph s, 2014). The University of Alabama provides library services online, specifically designed for online students; students are able to call, text, or the library. Students may also set up afterhours consultation for assistance. Lastly, the library provides a plethora of online books, databases, and scholarly articles for use in student research (Gould et. al., 2014; University of Alabama, 2014). Western Governors University online student mentoring program assigns a personal student mentor to each online student. The student mentor is the online student s primary point of contact with the institution and communication with each other on a regular basis via phone, , or web conference (Moore, Shelton, 2014; Western Governors University, 2014).

8 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 8 The increased amount of support services for online students has led to the question of whether they are effective. According to the 2013 National Online Learners Priorities Report (Noel-Levitz, 2013), enrollment services, which, according to Noel-Levitz, include financial aid, course registration, and payment procedures (p. 14), were rated the second most important factor for online students (2013). In addition, academic services, which include advising, online library resources, tutoring services, and technical assistance (p. 14), were rated the third most important (2013); student services, which includes online career services, the bookstore, and responses to student requests (p. 14) were rated the least important factors by respondents of the study (2013). For each of those areas, performance gaps between importance and satisfaction were on the lower end, between.49 and.60 (2013). Overall, the area with the highest level of importance for primarily online students was institutional perceptions, which is how students perceive the institution (p. 6); however, institutional perception was the area in which distance learners received the least amount of satisfaction (2013), exhibiting a void between online student expectations and institution delivery. Method This is a qualitative case study that focused on the experiences online students have with student support services. The study was performed at Fort Hays State University (FHSU), a midsized university located in Western Kansas. With a total enrollment of 13,441 students, over 5,300 of those students are full- or part-time online students through the institution s Virtual College, which is forty percent of the student population (Fort Hays State, 2014e). The Virtual College at Fort Hays State University has been active for more than 20 years, and its enrollment numbers have increased exponentially in that time. It offers 52 undergraduate and graduate certificates (2014d), two associate s degrees (2014a), 27 bachelor s degrees (2014b), and 14

9 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 9 master s degrees (2014c). With the exception of five certificates and degrees, which require at least one week of on-campus work, all credentials can be earned taking courses offered entirely online. This is a qualitative case study, which investigates a contemporary phenomenon (the case ) in its read-world context, especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context may not be clearly evident (Yin, 2003, p. 2). For this study, the holistic single case approach was used, in which the case study examined a group of students experiences from only one collegiate institution (Baxter & Jack, 2008). This approach was appropriate for the study the author has attempted to answer why and how the online students experience student support services at Fort Hays State University, and whether changes to those services should be considered to better accommodate this particular student population. Participants Prospective participants were randomly selected from a database provided by the Division of Student Affairs at Fort Hays State University. These students ranged in age from 18-65, and either male or female. There were no criteria for examining students of a particular ethnicity, race, or sexual orientation. The database provided by the University contained students who were enrolled entirely in online courses; no students enrolled in any on-campus courses were included. Participants were recruited on a voluntary basis. Using the database of all online students provided by Fort Hays State University, systematic random sampling was used to gather prospective participants. A total of 483 students were randomly selected to participate in the study. The initial point of contact was an message asking consideration for participation in the study (Appendix A), along with up to three reminder s (Appendix B).

10 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 10 Procedure A survey consisting of primarily open-ended questions, along with some single-select questions was used for this study. When noting FHSU s student support services, the name of the office was used as the primary identifier for the services. The survey was administered and sent electronically to prospective participants via their university-issued address. Respondents were contacted with one initial explaining the purpose of the study. Those respondents that did not complete the survey after the initial point of contact received up to three reminder s (Appendix B) requesting participation. The survey instrument (Appendix D) included an informed consent agreement and took respondents approximately minutes to complete. Included in the instrument were questions using the critical incident research approach, which focuses on behaviors that have been directly observed but not necessarily observed by the auditors themselves (Downs & Adrian, 2004, p. 159); the observations are made by the people who actually experience the services (2004). Upon completion of the survey, all identifiable information about the participant was removed from the report including their associated university-issued address, to protect participant confidentiality. All participants who completed the survey were contacted post-administration and thanked for their time (Appendix C). They were provided the researcher s contact information should they choose to request a copy of the completed report. In order to fully understand the scope of online student experiences with support services at Fort Hays State University, the researcher focused on the services that FHSU currently provides. Before the survey was administered, the author gathered information about the current student support services at FHSU to guide the questions that were asked on the survey instrument. This information was gathered from the Fort Hays State University website.

11 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 11 Data Analysis Guided by the case-oriented understanding, which aims to understand the point of view of participants surrounding a particular phenomenon (Schutt, 2014), the responses of the participants were categorized into various themes related to their experiences. General themes gathered include: good and/or positive experiences, poor and/or negative experiences, frequency of service use, and importance of service use, as the survey questions proposed answers to these questions. These categories assisted in identifying which student support services at Fort Hays State University needed to enhance the quality of provision to online students. In addition, the results of this qualitative study may guide the potential creation of a quantitative survey instrument for each service provided, which would address the overall satisfaction of student support services with a generalizable online student population. Findings The survey was distributed via to 483 prospective respondents. Twenty-nine respondents agreed to participate in the survey; however, only twenty-four of those respondents completed the entirety of the survey, which provided a 5% response rate. Examples of three participants survey responses are located in Appendix E. Demographics Of the 24 respondents who completed the entire survey, 70% (n=17) represented females, 25% (n=6) represented males, and one participant preferred not to respond. The ages of respondents ranged from 23 to 59, with the average age being 42 and the most common age of respondents being 48. The current state of resident most commonly reported was Kansas, with Florida being the second most common. Twenty percent (n=5) of respondents reported they

12 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 12 enrolled in classes on a full-time while the remaining 79% reported they enroll in courses on a part-time basis. During a typical semester, half of respondents (n=12) enrolled in six credit hours, while only three respondents reported they typically enroll in 12 credit hours of courses. Forty-one percent (n=10) of respondents were undergraduate students while the remaining 58% (n=14) were graduate students; all participants represent a variety of degree majors. Eighty-three percent (n=20) of participants are employed full-time and the remaining 16% (n=4) of students are employed part-time. Table 1-B displays the full demographic report. Table 1-B Demographics of Respondents Current State of Residence Gender Age Employment Status Student Status Enrollment Status Typical Number of Credit Hours Enrolled Degree Major California F 34 FT G PT 9 Professional Studies (MPS)-Human Resource Management Kansas F 35 FT UG FT 12 Education-Elementary Massachusetts F 48 FT G FT 6 Liberal Studies (MLS)-Public Administration Florida M 40 FT G PT 3 Professional Studies (MPS)-Criminal Justice Washington M 59 PT UG FT 12 Organizational Leadership Washington M 40 FT G PT 6 Liberal Studies (MLS)-Public Administration California F 46 PT G PT 6 Liberal Studies (MLS)-Public Administration Florida F 48 PT UG PT 6 General Studies- Business Communication

13 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 13 Kansas F 26 FT G PT 6 Instructional Technology (MS) Kansas M 56 FT UG PT 8 Education-Early Childhood Unified Kansas F 36 FT G PT 6 Educational Administration (MSE) (Principal) Colorado F 30 FT UG PT 6 Nursing-RN to BSN Texas F 50 FT UG FT 12 Sociology Florida M 53 FT UG PT 6 Not Applicable Kansas F 44 FT UG PT 6 Education-Elementary Florida F 47 FT G PT 6 Education (MSE) Kansas F 49 PT UG PT 9 Nursing-RN to BSN Colorado F 36 FT G FT 7 School Psychology (MS) Oregon F 33 FT G PT 3 Nursing Administration (MS) Florida F 44 FT G PT 6 Professional Studies (MPS)- Computer Networking Kansas F 48 FT G PT 5 Education (MSE) Wyoming F 48 FT G PT 9 Business Administration (MBA) Kansas N/A 56 FT G PT 3 Special Education (MS) Kansas F 23 FT UG PT 6 Management Notes: F=Female; M=Male; FT=Full-Time; PT=Part-Time; UG=Undergraduate; G=Graduate Why FHSU? The first question on the survey asked participants to explain why they chose FHSU for their online education. Fort-five percent of respondents (n=11) noted that the low cost and affordability of the tuition was a reason they chose to study with FHSU. In addition, 20% (n=5)

14 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 14 of respondents noted that the capability of their degree program being entirely online and selfpaced was a positive feature. I am an older student, I returned to college after taking time off to support my family, I finally finished her undergrad in June 2013 obtaining a BA from Oregon State University, utilizing the online platform. I have always worked FT. When I finished my degree, I thought Wow! I can work independently and this is really good for me. I was working in the field that I am in grad school for (I should be getting my MA in HR Mgmt in June 2015). I work full time and I travel a lot for my job. I also have a family and a little one that counts on me to be there for her when I am not at work. FHSU allows me to do what I need to do for my family and myself. Twenty-nine percent (n=7) of respondents noted the institution s positive reputation and recommendations from others as the primary reason for enrolling in one of FHSU s online degree programs. One respondent asserted FHSU s long collegiate history: It's a brick and mortar school with a need to reach a geographically dispersed population of Kansans. The online education is an extension of the standards for the campus based education of a state school. This differentiates FHSU from the online programs created (often from scratch) to reach an online only student base, which can range from excellent to degree mill. I believe this makes it a better education than online only. It is affordable. The online admission/advisors were approachable and friendly. They were prompt to respond to my inquiries, well informed, and quickly evaluated my needs and how FHSU could meet them. They did not drop me after initial inquiries. My previous college courses/hrs were not discounted due to how old they were. An

15 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 15 acceptable degree/major was offered in an efficient and timely manner. My course offerings were interesting and plentiful. What are student support services? Participants in the study were asked what they thought of when they hear the term student support services. Responses were categorized into themes based on frequent word choice in the qualitative responses. The most common theme was technology support, as 10 respondents mentioned either IT or technical support in their response. One participant stated IT support would be about the only thing applicable to the online experience. Seven respondents (29%) noted that student support services existed in order to provide students a more holistic college experience to assist students when requested: That they are here to help can have to make the learning experience desirable People who actually care about your well being Holistic support to mind, body and spirit. Services that help you to be familiar with how the school can help you achieve your goals. There is someone there to help if it is needed Personnel available to assist the student smoothly through the academic period support for any questions you have One respondent shared a broad definition: I think of the full range services set up to help students meet all their needs in order to be successful. Admissions, registration, academic advising, tutoring, technical assistance, personal advising, and online library and class supporting programs.

16 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 16 Which services are most important? Participants were asked to rate their perceived level of importance of a variety of student support services utilizing a likert scale, which measured four (4) as very important and one (1) as not important at all. Table 1-C displays the average level of importance for each of Fort Hays State University s student support services among the respondents. Table 1-C Average Level of Importance for Student Support Services Student Support Service Office Average Level of Importance Center for Student Involvement 2.33 Student Health Center 2.58 Student Affairs 2.75 Kelly Center 2.96 Persistence and Retention 2.96 Career Services 3 Academic Advising and Career Exploration 3.38 Student Fiscal Services 3.38 Financial Aid 3.42 Bookstore 3.46 Registrar 3.46 Admissions 3.58 Computing and Telecommunications Center 3.75 Library 3.79 The most important service among the participants in the survey was the Library, with an average of 3.79, followed by the Computing and Telecommunications Center at 3.75, which provides Blackboard and TigerTracks support through the CTC Helpdesk. The Center for Student Involvement was of least importance to online students with an average of When asked for additional comments regarding these scores, eleven students provided insight to their responses including that many respondents lived outside of the state of Kansas, which did not

17 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 17 allow them to utilize the services. One respondent asserted that their online education experience is straightforward and focused on completing their degree: As an out of state online student, some campus support services, Student Health Center for example, really do not apply. Many online students are working adults who are far removed from the typical age, needs, and experiences of most campus based students. Our concerns tend more towards time efficiency, flexibility, costs, streamlined processes and progression to graduation. The levels of importance associated with each service correlates to the frequency of use among the respondents in the study. Figure 1 displays the number of respondents who have used each service. The services with the highest level of importance have been utilized more frequently than those with lower levels of importance. The Admissions office, which has the third average highest level of importance, has been utilized most frequently, whereas the four least important student support services (Center for Student Involvement, Persistence and Retention, Student Affairs, and the Student Health Center) were not utilized by any of the respondents in the study.

18 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 18 Figure 1. Number of Respondents who have Utilized Student Support Services Positive Experiences Utilizing the critical incident technique, participants were asked to describe both a positive and a negative experience with one of the student support services provided by FHSU. Two offices were reported as providing both positive and negative experiences. The most commonly reported positive experience was with the Financial Aid office. Five students (21%) responded with a positive comment about the office. Most comments were associated with the student s ability to communicate with the financial aid office, as the staff was VERY helpful and very knowledgeable. One respondent was specific in noting that all questions regarding their Pell grants were answered politely and promptly.

19 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 19 More positively reported experiences were with the Academic Advising and Career Exploration office. Four more students (17%) responded with positive experiences noting the advisors were knowledgeable and easy to speak with, as well as, calmed fears. The Bookstore was also a positively reported office to work with; four students (17%) described how the bookstore has always been able to meet their needs when preparing for their semester s courses. Most commonly noted was the Bookstore s ability to ship materials quickly when ordered, and how staff is polite and easy to work with. One student described an experience in detail: The process is streamlined and very easy. Renting books instead of having to buy them is so much more reasonable and economical. In addition, I had to swap a book that I rented which was so marked up in Chinese when I got it that I couldn't read the text--the process of getting a replacement was fast and easy. The Kelly Center was reported to provide positive experiences to two respondents (8%) regarding SmartThinking touring services and overall prompt service. One respondent noted a positive experience with the Library, specially the Distance Learning Director, who was described as knowledgeable and helpful. Another respondent reported a positive experience with the Computing and Telecommunications Center when they noticed a mistake in their academic record: Shortly after starting I realized my name was spelled incorrectly. The FHSU system took my multiple word last name and made just that part my first middle and last names. I called the help desk who, over a couple of days, presented me with two options. Fix then and be off line for up to a week or wait until end of semester. Being unthrilled about earning credits under the wrong name I chose the fix then option. Four hours later fixed.

20 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 20 Top notch. The whole process was actually smooth and they stayed in contact with me throughout. The Admissions and Registrar offices were also described as providing positive experiences by answering questions promptly and providing transcripts for free, respectively. Negative Experiences When asked to describe negative experiences with any of the student support services at FHSU, 54% of students (n=13) students responded that they had no negative experiences to report, and all experiences with student support services had been positive. However, the remaining 46% (n=11) students provided descriptions of negative experiences. Three respondents described negative experiences with the Bookstore and their lack of promptness when shipping materials before the start of the semester and providing clear descriptions of required materials. One respondent asserted that after they received a textbook two weeks late for a summer course they will not use the bookstore again and do not trust it. Although the Financial Aid office offered the most positive experiences to participants, two respondents (8%) offered negative experiences as well. One of which applied to answering questions over the telephone, as student employees are not able to answer them. The second response was a detailed synopsis of the respondents with the Financial Aid Appeals process: Financial Aid quit assisting me because I failed my summer class, which is 100% my fault. However, I wrote an essay explaining my plan to get back on track. They still denied my appeal, and since I have to pay for my own tuition I have to use a payment plan and since I can't pay off my current tuition until December, I can't enroll in spring classes because there's a hold on my account and all the classes I need are closed.

21 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 21 Two more respondents also reported negative experiences with the Library, which were primarily related to accessing resources. One respondent noted that the Library s website was cumbersome. The second respondent noted being unable to access database articles: Some of the articles and papers in the ProQuest database were not viewable even though the results indicated that they were available in through FHSU. You then login to ProQuest but you still cannot view it. There was no help to determine next steps. Four students (17%) reported negative experiences with Academic Advising; however, the four responses described negative experiences with faculty advisors and not advisors staffed with the office of Academic Advising and Career Exploration. Desired Improvements Only two respondents thought there were student support services missing from the current model. One student desired more involvement with the institution s Student Government Association as well as virtual attendance to various presentations the University provides to oncampus students. The second student s suggestion was to increase support in scheduling clinical and testing proctors for their nursing degree program, as they are required components. The latter student was largely responsible for this component, and had little guidance. Discussion The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences online students have with student support services at Fort Hays State University. Utilizing an online survey with openended responses and the critical incident technique, most students reported positive experiences with the student support services with which they have interacted. The 24 students who participated in this study were like those in previous studies in regard to which services they deem most important. Students in this study agreed that the most important services include the

22 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 22 Library and Commuting and Telecommunications Center, which are consistent with the academic services in the Noel-Levtiz Online Learning Priorities Report (2013); however, FHSU students felt these services were more important than enrollment services. The Admissions and Registrar offices were also noted as important to this sample of students, which is consistent with the Noel-Levitz Online Learners Priorities Report (2013). Regardless of the level of importance, the four offices in which experiences were most frequently reported either positively or negatively included the Financial Aid Office, Academic Advising and Career Exploration, the Bookstore, and the Computing and Telecommunications Center. Based on the responses from the participants, it is apparent the Financial Aid Office provides both positive and negative experiences specific to the student; whether it was in regard to aid appeals or answering questions over the phone, this office was given the most scrutiny. The Bookstore was also given conflicting reviews as it has provided both exceptionally positive experiences and also very negative experiences to online students. Given only two participants thought of services to add to FHSU s current model of student support services, it is assumed all other participants are pleased with the types of services currently provided to the online student population; however, it is clear the provision of these services is not consistent among all online students. Recommendations and Implications The results of this study suggest that Fort Hays State University provides adequate types of student support services for its online student population. Although, the Division of Student Affairs and Virtual College should consider a thorough satisfaction review of each of those services in order to fully understand the experiences that each of the services components provide online students.

23 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 23 Currently, the Division of Student Affairs offers student support services for both oncampus and online students in various areas; however, results indicate that the most important services online students wish to use are the Library, to collect resources for study, and the Computing and Telecommunications Center, to receive technical assistance during their online experience. The author recommends the Division of Student Affairs and Virtual College place emphasis on ensuring these two services are adequate and serve online students exceptionally. For the Library, it is recommended that all articles located in the online databases be made available in an online format to the student user with their university-issued account. Based on the sample of participants, the Computing and Telecommunications Center appears to be providing adequate services. Another suggestion would be to conduct a thorough evaluation of the services the Financial Aid office and Bookstore provides to online students. Given there were very mixed reviews on each of these services, it is encouraged each department perform satisfaction assessments with this specific population, and address any issues reported. Limitations of the Study As with all research, this study has limitations. First, the survey instrument did not contain a Not Applicable or Prefer Not to Respond response option associated with all questions included; the survey instrument software that was utilized required all questions to be answered in order to move forward. This caused confusion among participants, as the informed consent agreement advised the participants they could skip any questions during the survey if they wished not to answer them. This caused many respondents to provide filler answers; without extensive analysis of the interconnected data, this would have skewed the results. This

24 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 24 also resulted in a form of deception against the respondents, which may have caused five participants to close the survey without completion. The second limitation of this survey is also in regard to the survey instrument. The survey instrument required participants to spend an extensive amount of time answering open-ended questions, which may not have captured their experiences in elaborate detail. The ability to ask follow-up questions for clarification was also absent in this method. The extremely low response rate does not allow for generalizability of the entire online student population at FHSU. Though there are over 5,300 students enrolled in online degree programs at FHSU; the survey was administered to a small sample with a response rate of only five percent. Therefore, this study only garnered the perceptions of.4% of the entire online student population at FHSU. The response rate would have likely increased if the survey instrument had been available for a longer amount of time; however, due to time constraints the instrument was only administered for two weeks. The bias associated with the analyzing the qualitative data collected from the survey instrument is apparent, as the researcher is a blended student at the case institution. In addition, considering examining the qualitative data is subjective, and the participants responses may be misinterpreted. Implications for Future Research There are several implications that can be drawn from this study to further develop research on this topic. These suggestions should prove beneficial for future assessments within FHSU s Division of Student Affairs and Virtual College, which should produce more actionable data for the institution.

25 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 25 There is a concern for validity in any research study. Did this method answer all things we wanted to know? Because an online student s experience with their collegiate institution is complex, an extensive semi-structured interview or focus group may have provided more detailed information about student experiences. Although the data from this study is meager, the information presented has placed focus on, at least, four services that could benefit from further evaluation at the institution. Future quantitative evaluations for each service would provide each department with directed feedback to generate improvement plans. Conclusion In conclusion, this study described the experiences online students have with various student support services at Fort Hays State University. It aimed to understand how students experience the services in which they interact, and whether improvements should be made. This study confirmed that the most important services online students desire are those defined by the Noel-Levitz Online Learners Priorities Report (2013) as academic services and enrollment services, and that emphasis should be placed on ensuring those services are provided with exceptional care to the online student population at the institution.

26 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 26 References Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2014). Grade change: Tracking online education in the United States. Babson Research Group & Quahog Research Group, LLC. Baxter, P., & Jack, S. (2008). Qualitative case study methodology: Study design and implementation for novice researchers. The Qualitative Report, 13(4). Retrieved October 4, 2014, from Britto, M., & Rush, S. (2014). Developing and implementing comprehensive student support services for online students. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 17(1), Crawley, A., & Fetzner, M. (2013). Providing service innovations to students inside and outside of the online classroom: Focusing on student success. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 17(1), Dare, L. A., Zapata, L. P, & Thomas, A. G. (2005). Assessing the needs of distance learners: A student affairs perspective. New Directions for Student Services, 112, Downs, C.W., & Adrian, A.D. (2004). Critical communication experience survey. In Assessing Organizational Communication: Strategic Communication Audits. (p ). New York, NY: The Guilford Press. Fort Hays State University. (2014a). Associate s degrees. Retrieved September 10, 2014, from Fort Hays State University. (2014b). Bachelor s degrees. Retrieved September 10, 2014, from Fort Hays State University. (2014c). Master s degrees. Retrieved September 10, 2014, from Fort Hays State University. (2014d). Online certificates listed alphabetically. Retrieved

27 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 27 September 10, 2014, from Fort Hays State University. (2014e). QuickFACTS. Retrieved September 10, 2014, from Gaytan, J. (2013). Factors affecting student retention in online courses: Overcoming this critical problem. Career and Technical Education Research, 38(2), Gould, L. V., Mason, T. A., & Degenhardt, K. D. (2014). Adult Learners, the Internet, and the Support Service Challenge. In Culp, M. M. & Dungy, G. J. (Eds.), Increasing Adult Learner Persistence and Completion Rates (pp ), Washington D.C.: NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Heyman, E. (2010). Overcoming student retention issues in higher education online programs. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 13(4). Retrieved October 3, 2014, from Jones, K. R. (2014). Developing and implementing a mandatory online student orientation. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 17(1), Kretovics, M. (2003). The role of student affairs in distance education: Cyberservices or virtual communities. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 6(3), Retrieved August 22, 2014, from Kuk, L., & Banning, J. H. (2009). Designing student affairs organizational structures: LaPadula, M. (2003). A comprehensive look at online student support services for distance learners. The American Journal of Distance Education, 17(2), Perceptions of senior student affairs officers. NASPA Journal, 46(1),

28 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 28 Lorenzetti, J. (2004). Proactive academic advising for distance students. Distance Education Report, 8(20), 4-6. Long Beach City College. (2014). Online Counseling. Retrieved September 12, 2014 from Moore, J. C., & Shelton, K. Social and student engagement and support: The Sloan-C Quality Scorecard for the Administration of Online Programs. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 17(1), Noel-Levitz. (2013) national online learners priorities report. Coralville, Iowa: Author. Retrieved September 7, 2014, from Oregon State University. (2014). Online Tutoring. Retrieved September 12, 2014, from Pullan, M.C. (2009). Student support services for millennial undergraduates. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 38(2), Ross, J., Gallegher, M. S., & Macleod, H. (2013). Making distance visible: Assembling nearness in an online distance learning programme. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 14(4), Schutt, R. K. (2014). Investigating the social world: The process and practice of research (8th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Shea, P., & Armitage, S. (2002). Guidelines for Creating Student Services Online. Boulder, CO: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). Retrieved Monday, October 13, 2014, from Simpson, & Ormond. (2013). Supporting students in online, open & distance learning

29 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 29 (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Taylor and Francis. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. (2014). Distance and correspondence education policy statement. Decatur, Georgia: Author. St. Joseph s College of Maine. (2014). Academic Advising Program for Online Courses. Retrieved September 13, 2014, from Taylor, B., & Holley, K. (2009). Providing academic and support services to students enrolled in online degree programs. College Student Affairs Journal, 28(1), University of Alabama. (2014). Library Services for Distance Learners. Retrieved September 13, 2014, from Western Governors University. (2014). Admissions Academic Experience Your Mentor. Retrieved Monday, October 13, 2014, from Writing Lab, OWL at Purdue, & Purdue University. (2014). OWL fact sheet. Retrieved September 18, 2014, from Yin, R. K. (2003). Case study research: Design and methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

30 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 30 Good afternoon, Appendix A Invitation I am writing to ask if you would agree to be a participant in a research project titled, Online Student Experiences with Student Support Services. The research study aims to understand how online students, above the age of 18, experience the student support services provided by FHSU. I hope you will be willing to help me with my project. The purpose of this project is to understand how online students experience the student support services provided by Fort Hays State University. These support services include, but are not limited to: major and career exploration, student fiscal services, admissions, registrar, financial aid/scholarships, tutoring, career services, counseling, and the CTC Helpdesk. The survey, accessed below, will ask you questions about which support services you have had experience with and why you used them, what those experiences were like, and whether there are services that are absent from your online education experience. It will take approximately minutes to complete. Your participation in this project is completely anonymous. To access the survey please [click here]. If the survey does not open automatically, please copy and paste the following link to your internet browser's address bar: [UNIQUE RECIPIENT LINK] Thank you, in advance, for your time and participation. Sincerely, Kaley R. Klaus Graduate Student, Department of Leadership Studies Rarick Hall 235 Fort Hays State University 600 Park Street Hays, KS krklaus@fhsu.edu

31 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 31 Good afternoon, Appendix B Reminder s Appendix B.1 First Reminder Last week, a survey seeking information about your experiences with student support services at Fort Hays State University was ed to you. If you have not completed the survey, please do so today. I am especially grateful for your help with this project, and we truly appreciate your feedback. The research project is titled, Online Student Experiences with Student Support Services," and aims to understand how online students experience the student support services provided by Fort Hays State University. These support services include, but are not limited to: major and career exploration, student fiscal services, admissions, registrar, financial aid/scholarships, tutoring, career services, counseling, and the CTC Helpdesk. The survey, accessed below, will ask you questions about which support services you have had experience with and why you used them, what those experiences were like, and whether there are services that are absent from your online education experience. It will take approximately minutes to complete. Your participation in this project is completely anonymous. To access the survey please [click here]. If the survey does not open automatically, please copy and paste the following link to your internet browser's address bar: [UNIQUE RECIPIENT LINK] Thank you, in advance, for your time and participation. Sincerely, Kaley R. Klaus Graduate Student, Department of Leadership Studies Rarick Hall 235 Fort Hays State University 600 Park Street Hays, KS krklaus@fhsu.edu

32 ONLINE STUDENT EXPERIENCES 32 Good morning, Appendix B.2 Second & Final Reminder About a week and a half ago, a survey seeking information about your experiences with student support services at Fort Hays State University was ed to you. To the best of our knowledge, it has not been completed. The students who have already completed the survey have provided a variety of feedback about the student support services for online students. Many have described their experiences, both good and bad, with the services. We think the results are going to be very useful. I am writing again because of the importance that your responses have for helping get accurate results. Hearing from nearly every online student in our sample ensures that our results can be truly representative. The research project is titled, Online Student Experiences with Student Support Services," and aims to understand how online students experience the student support services provided by Fort Hays State University. These support services include, but are not limited to: major and career exploration, student fiscal services, admissions, registrar, financial aid/scholarships, tutoring, career services, counseling, and the CTC Helpdesk. The survey, accessed below, will ask you questions about which support services you have had experience with and why you used them, what those experiences were like, and whether there are services that are absent from your online education experience. It will take approximately minutes to complete. Your participation in this project is completely anonymous. To access the survey please [click here]. If the survey does not open automatically, please copy and paste the following link to your internet browser's address bar: [UNIQUE RECIPIENT LINK] Thank you, in advance, for your time and participation. Sincerely, Kaley R. Klaus Graduate Student, Department of Leadership Studies Rarick Hall 235 Fort Hays State University 600 Park Street Hays, KS krklaus@fhsu.edu